Island



I. LAWSON.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED (JCT-1 1920. 1,433,386. v Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI l.

lnveniior: John/Lawso I. LAWSON.

KN.I.TTI.NG. MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1, 1920.

Mllliiiil Johfi Lazvson,

Patented 0ct.24,1922

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

llllllllllll W7 I. LAWSON.

KNITTING MACHINE.

1920/. 1,433,386. Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

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Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LAWSON, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR. TO HEMPI-IILLCOMPANY, OF PAWTUCKET, RI'IODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

KNITTING MACHINE.

I Application filed October 1, 1920. Serial No. 414,069.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoI-rN LAWSON, a c1t1- zen of the United States, anda resident of Central Falls, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode Island, have invented an Improvement in Knitting Machines, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, 1s a specification, like characters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to knittlng machines and the object thereof is toprovide simple and efiicient means for producing tuck or similarstitches at selected points in the work.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown merely for the purposes ofillustration one form of machine embodying this invention, wherein,

Figure 1 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one example of work that may be produced uponthe machine;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the knitting cams together with certainparts of the machine app-urtenant thereto;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating in plan the proportions of'the butts ofthe various knitting instruments employed in the pres ent embodiment;

Fig. 5 is a diagram of a section of the fabric formed upon the machineembodying this invention, the loops composing said fabric being showngreatly enlarged; and

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of a portion of a sinker bed ring, a numberof sinkers being shown therein including the special sinker forproducing a distinction between the wale at the center of the back ofthe stocking leg and the regular sinker wales of the fabric.

Fig. 7 is a detail in elevation of the stitch cams and central top guidecam viewed from the inside of the needle cylinder.

The present embodiment of the invention involves a circular knittingmachine of the general type disclosed in the patent to Hemphill No.933,443, dated September 7, 1909, but this type. of machine has beenadopted merely to illustrate the nature and functions of the invention,and it is distinctly to be understood that the invention is not limitedto this particular type of machlne but may equally well be used inconnection with straight knitting machines or With circular knittingmachines wherein the needle cylinder remains stationary while the camsthereof are revolved. '1

In the drawings, 1 indicates the frame of the machine and 2 a tablesurmounting said frame. A needle carrier or cylinder 3 is journaled torotate in said table 2 and is driven in the usual manner from a drivmgshaft 4 having thereon suitable pulleys such for example as a loosepulley 5, and fast pulleys 6 and 6 for imparting different speeds to theneedle carrier during reciprocating and rotary knitting. Surrounding theneedle carrier 3 is a cam plate 7 whereon are mounted various cams forcontrolling the movements of the knitting instruments The cam plate 7 isattached to the upper end of a slide 9 to which is given, at certaintimes in the operation of the machine, limited vertical movements tovary the lengths of the loops that are being produced by the knittinginstruments.

The knitting instruments 10, herein needles of any of the well-knowntypes, such as latch'needles, are arranged within grooves in the needlecarrier 3 in the usual manner to be reciprocated vertically therein byappropriate knitting cams 11 herein termed the main knitting set ofcams, in the present example including stitch cams 12 and 13 performingthe functions of the cams in the U. S. patent to Joshua D. HemphilL No.933,443 and a central top guide cam 14 all three of which are mounted ina welLknown manner upon a cam block 15, the latter being arranged toslide upon said cam plate 7 ra dially with respect to the needle carrier3. The guide cam 14 is between and. symmetrically positioned withrespect to both of the stitch cams 12, 13.

The knitting instruments or needles 10, as

has been previously stated, are of usual form and arranged in a circularseries which includes two groups 16 and 17. The group 16 herein consistsof long butts while the group 17 is composed of relatively shorter buttsor butts of the usual length employed in stocking knitting machineswhereon heel and toe pockets are produced. The needles of the group 16,in the present example, occupy approximately one half the circumferenceof the needle carrier or cylinder 3 while the group 17 extends aroundthe remainder of said carrier and during the formation of the ordinaryloops of the fabric to be produced by the machine these two sets ofneedles are functioned in the usual well-known manner and being so wellknown to those skilled in the art no further description of theoperation thereof is believed necessary.

At certain points i. e. at points where a change in the character ofknitting is to be produced, such, for example as the formation of tuckstitches, knitting instruments or needles having a different length buttare inserted, and in the present example Ihave shown arranged at spacedpoints in the group of short or relatively short butt needles 17 twoneedles 18 and 19 provided with abnormally short butts 20, said nceedles18 and 19 being placed atsubstantially equal distances from the centerline of the series 17 of the needles as indicated by the line a-a andwhich line would represent the center of the back portion of the leg ofa stocking. r a

As previously stated: various types of work may be produced uponthepresent machine and as an example of the work herein produced I haveshown in Fig. 1 a sample of stocking embodying variations inthecharacter of knitting the calf portion thereof, which variations arerepresented by the numeral 21. These variations may obviously beinserted at any desired point or points in the knitted fabric but forthe purposes of illustration I have shown these variations as beingarranged in two parallel. rows 22, 22 (see Fig. 5 which rows aredisposed adjacent to the line -a--a indicating the back center line ofthe leg of the stocking and occur only at the calf portion of said leg,so as to give the impression of the usual markings of certain makes offull fashioned hosiery, said markings being herein shown uniformlyspaced throughout the length of the calf portion 23 of the stockingshown in Fig. 1.

Obviously the machine may be equipped to produce various types ofstitches such as would constitute imitations of the usual mark producedby the transferring of loops from one needle to another in. fashioning,but in the present example the machine is designed or equipped toproduce what are commonly called tuck stitches as shown at 241. Themanner of forming tuck stitches is very well-known to those skilled inthe art and principally consists in preventing the casting off of a loopformed on a certain needle for a number of courses, but in feeding theyarn thereto through all said courses so that a collection of loopsorparts of loops will be formed 011 the needle, and when the desirednumber has been produced all of these are cast off together andpredetermined distances apart as shown in l ig l, the needles 18 andhave been provided as hereinbetore stated at certain distances from thecenter line a-a of the group 17 and these needleshave been provid'edwith abnormallyshort knitting butts 20 which are long enough to befunctioned in. the usual manner during the formation of the regularloops of the fabric, but in order to produce the tuck stitches 241 meanshave been provided whereby the butts 20 of the needles 1.8 and 19 willnot be functioned with the butts of the remaining needles of the group17 and likewise the butts of the needles 16 for a specified nunr ber ofcourses to form the three loops 25, 26 and 27 (see Fig. 5). i

To accomplish the above results thecen tral top guide camlst ispreferably sli-dably mounted upon the cam block 1-5 so as to moveradially of the needle carrier and relatively to and independently ofthe stitch cams 12 and 13 at certain determined intervals in theknitting. I

The cam 14; is provided with slots .28 through which screws 29 extendand have engagement with the cam block 15. A stop 30 is disposed at therear of the cam 1a and this stop is adjustable as shown at $1 to permita slight movement thereof toward or away from the needle cylinder andthus permt the same to be moved to regulate the outward radial movementsof said cam relatively to said needle cylinder.

It will be seen by referring to Fig; 4 that the butts ZO'areconsiderably shorter thanthe short butts of the needle 17 but, thesebuttsQO are nevertheless of sufficient length to effect engagement withthe cam 14 when said cam is at its innermost position so as to cause theneedles 17 and 18 to function normally with the groups 16 and 117 duringformation of the regular loops of the fabric shown at 32 in Fig. 5, butwhen it is desired to prevent the functioning of said needles 18 and 19said cam 14 is retracted a distance sl ghtly greater than the length ofbuttsFZO but less than the length of the butts of the needles 17whereupon rotation of the needle-carrier will cause all of the needlesof the series 16 and all the needles of the series 17. except theneedles '18 and 19, to be acted upon by the cam 14 and moved intoengagementwith one or the other of the stitch cams 1 1 according to thedirection of the movement of the needle carrier, but by reason of thefact that the butts 20 fail to engage the can'i 14 at th s time saidbutts 20 will pass over the tops of the stitch cams '12 and 13 and willnot be acted upon by either. Obviously various devices may be employedautomatically to effect the proper movements of the cam 14 at certaintimes in the knitting operation. In the present example, however, Ipreferably employ means including a link 33 herein attached at one endby a screw 34 to the top face 01" the cam 14. The opposite end of thelink 33 is arranged to slide in a bracket 35 herein attached by screws36 to a standard 3'? forming a part of the knitting machine. The link 33is provided with a slot 38 within which one end 39 of the bell cranklever 40 is arranged, said lever being pivoted at 41 to said standard37. The other arm. 42 of the bell crank lever 40 is provided with a studor screw 43 arranged in a slot 44 formed at one end of a link 45, thelatter extending downwardly through the table 2 and into pivotalengagement with one arm of a. cam lever 46 pivoted at 47 to the frame ofthe machine.

Various eXpedients may. be resorted to for the purpose of functioningthe lever 46, but herein I preferably provide lugs 48 upon the links ofa pattern chain 49, the latter being in the present example a part of awell-known form of pattern mechan ism and particularly of the formdescribed in said Hemphill patent, the operation of which will need nofurther description.

The lugs 48 may be of various heights and lengths but preferably theyare. of such a length and positioned properly to effect the raising ofthe end 50 of the lever 46 and to hold said lever elevated just longenough for the needle carrier 3 to produce three courses ofknitting,viz, courses including the loops 25, 26' and 27 as shown in 5, whereuponsaid lever will be permitted. to drop to its normal position so that theknitting of the next'course which produces the loop 51 will effect thecasting 0d of said loops 25, 26 and 27 over said loop 51.

It is desirable although not essential that the cam 14 be yieldinglyretracted from its innermost position so that when said cam strikes thegage 80 it will be preven ted from further movement by reason or theposition of a stop 52, which is pivoted at 53 50 the standard 37 andarranged to be swung into place, as shown in Fig. 3 against the end ofthe cam block 15. To provide the yielding action above described. aspring 54 is arranged to encircle the rod 45 adjacent to the end thereofwhich connects with or engages the screw 43. This spring in the presentexample has an eye or hook 56 formed at its upper end to encircle thescrew 43. The lower end 57 of said spring 54 terminates adjacent to acollar 58 secured herein by a screw 59 to said rod and an eye formed atsaid. spring end may encircle the said screw 59. To withdraw said cam 14from said normal position the end 50 of the lever 46 rides up over oneof the projections or lugs 48 or the pattern chain and causes the rod 4,to descend, and by. reason of the engagement of the eyes of the springwith the screws 43 and 59 respectively rocking movement will betransmitted to the lever 42 and through the intervening mechanism theappropriatelinovement will be imparted to said cam 14.

The return of the cam 14 to its innermost position may be effected invarious ways, and herein for this purpose is shown a. spring 46 attachedat one end to the end of the lever 46 that is connected. with. the rod45, the opposite end of said spring being hooked to a fixed part of theframe 1 where by upon the release of the lever 46 from the lug 48 therod 45 will be raised by the action of said spring and through theintervening mechanism, the return of said cam 14 to its inner positionwill be accomplished. The return movement of said cam like theretracting movement thereof is a yielding action so that in case anyobstructions such as needle butts happen to be in the path of said camit will stop until such obstructions have passed.

There may be occasions when it is desired to prevent the cam 14 fromworking with its operating instrumentalities hereinbe'fore dcscribedeither from its outermost position inward or from its innermost positionoutward and to accomplish the rendering 0%? said cam inoperative I haveprovided means for disconnecting the link 33 from the lever 40., saidmeans herein consisting of a stop 6?. pivoted at 6:2 to said link 33,one end or said stop extending through the bracket 35, the slot thereinbeing arranged deep enough to contain both said stop andsaid link. hensaid stop is in its normal position the end 6 thereof lies in the pathor the end 39 ot the lever 40 and is engaged by said end to more the cam14 inward, but when no mo vemcnt of said cam is desired the-stop member61 rocked about its pivot 62 whereby the end will not be engaged and theend 39 or said. lever will merely idle within the elongated slot 38 insaid link. The stop 61 is provided with an'upwardly projecting member 64which serves as means for rocking said stop about its pivot and may alsoserve as means for manually mo r1112 the cam 14 into and out of itsoperative position. In addi tion to being used as a means fordisconnecting the cam 14 from its operating means the member 61 may. beand preferably is utilized as an adjustment whereby the advancedposition to which the cam 14 is moved relati ely to the needle cylindermay be varied. For this purpose the member 61 is slotted at 65 andthrough this slot the screw 62 extends into screw-threaded -engagementwith the link 33 and obviously by exerting pressure upon said screw 62after the end 6 of said'member 61 has been positioned correctly withrespect to the end.

39 of the operating leaver 40, said stop men1- her 61 may be held in thedesired position and prevent unintentional movement thereof.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that means have beenprovided whereby the cam 14 may be moved a predetermined distance in aradial direction and rel atively to the other cams 12 and 13 of the camset, so as to avoid actuating the tuck stitch needles 18 and 19 for acertain number of courses after which said cam will be automaticallyrestored to effect the casting ofl of the loops formed during theinaction of said needles. Regular loops will then be produced in theusual manner until the next tuck stitch is to be formed whereupon theabove operations are repeated, and these tuck stitches maybe inserted inthe. fabric wherever desired merely by the rearrangement of the needlesor the insertion of others Within the grooves of the needle carrier andof the lugs upon the patstitched together forming the seam at the backof the leg, but Where stockings are made like the example illustrated insaid Fig. 1 the entire leg portion is in tubular form and of the samediameter throughout, except where slight variations are eiiected by achange in the size or lengths oi? loops during the knitting or by theshaping of the stocking by placing the same upon a suitable form andsteaming or otherwise. To make the last mentioned type of stockingappear as a fullfashioned stocking, in addition to the two rows 22 ofthe tuck stitches hereinbefore described, a mock or imitation seam isusually formed at the center of the back of the leg of the stockingalong the line aa by sewing in a line of chain stitches 65', this beingaccomplished after thexknitting of the stocking has been completed. Thisline of chain stitches is usually run along a single sinker Wale, and inorder to I facilitate the work of inserting this chain of stitches, thesinker Wale along which it is to be inserted is preferal'ily marked ordifferentiatedin some suitable way, herein by the elongationof saidwales. v

Various IXIBtliO may be employed in the accomplishment of the aboveresult, but herein Ihave provided a special sinker or Web holder 66 (seeFig. 6) which is disposed within the usual bed 67 at a point coincidingwith the line a e, and this sinker or web holder differs from theregular sinkers or web holders 68 of the machine by being slightlylonger than the others, whereby the yarn-engagedthereby will be insertedto a greater extent between the needles than the regular sinker wales,andv thus efi'ect the desired variation between the series of sinkerwales effected by said sinker and-those of the regular fabric.

While I have herein-shown and described certain embodiments of myinvention and have disclosed and discussed in detail the constructionand arrangement incidental. to

such disclosure it is distinctly to be understood that the invention islimited neither to the more details or relative arrangement of parts norto the specific applications herein shown but that extensive variationsmay be made without departing from the principles thereof.

(llainis: 1. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a series ofknitting instruments, a predetermined number of said instruments havingbutts shorter than those of the instruments among which they are;directly placed, and a set of knitting cams for functioning saidinstruments including a pair of stitch cams, and a guide camsubstantially symmetrically positioned with respect to both of saidstitch cams arranged for independent movement toward and from saidinstruments, into and out of operative engagement with saidpredetermined number of shorter butt instruments.

2. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a series of knittinginstruments, a plurality of said instruments having short butts; a mainknitting set of cams including apair of'stitch cams and a guide cambetween and symmetrically positioned with respect to both of said stitchcams, and means automatically to move said guide cam out of operativeposition with respect to said short butt instruments to prevent castingofi' of the loops thereof, for a-determined number of courses. l 1 I Aknitting machine comprising, in com bination, a series of knittinginstruments, a selected number of said instruments having relativelyshort butts; a' main knittin set of cams to function all of saidinstruments in knitting, said cams including a top central guide camadapted for movement toward and from saidknitting instrumentsindependently of the other cams, and means to retract said central guidecam from engagement with said relatively short butts at selected pointsin the knitting to form tuck sitches.

4. A; knitting. machine comprising, in combination, a series of needleshaving long and short knitting butts, a selected number of abornmallyshort butt needles arranged in the short butt series, knitting camsincluding a central guide cam arranged, for independent movement towardand away from said needles and means automatically to remove saidcentral guide cam from operative engagement with said abnormally shortbutt needles at selected points in the knitting to form tuck stitches.

5. A hosiery knitting machine comprising, in combination, a series ofneedles including sole and instep needles, a predetermined number ofabnormally short butt needles disposed at substantially equal distancesfrom the center of said sole group of needles, knitting cams, includinga central guide cam, and means to move said central guide camindependently of the other knitting cams out of operative engagementwith said abnormally short butt needles tor a predetermined number orcourses to form tuck stitches along a selected portion of the stocking.

' 6. A knitting machine comprising in combination a set of long buttinstruments and a set of short but-t instruments, a plurality ofinstruments having butts shorter than said short butt instruments, a setof knitting cams includin a top central guide cam, means automaticallyto move said guide cam out of operative position with respect to saidshort butt instruments to prevent casting-off of the loops thereof, fora determined number of courses, and means to disconnect said centralguide cam from its operating means whereby said cam may be manuallymoved to operative or inoperative positions with respect to said shortbutt instruments.

7. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a series of knittinginstruments, a predetermined number of said instruments having buttsshorter than those of the instruments among which said predeterminednumher are directly placed, a set of knitting cams for functioning saidinstruments includin a top central guide cam arranged for inc ependentmovement toward and from said instruments, into and out of operativeengagement with said abnormally short butts to prevent at times thecasting off of the loops from said instruments having abnormally shortbutts, and pattern means auto matically to effect movement of said camatselected pointsin the knitting.

I 8. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a needle cylinder, aseries of needles mounted for independent movement in said cylinder,selected needles of said series having relatively short butts, a set ofknitting cams including a radially movable central guide cam adapted formovement into and out of operative engagement with said relatively shortbutt needles to prevent at times the casting off of the loops from saidneedles having relatively short butts and means to move said camradially a predetermined distance including a pattern chain andresilient operating means interposed between said cam and said chain.

9. A machine for knitting imitation fashioned hosiery comprising incombination means to produce tuck stitches at points in the calf of astocking, corresponding to the points where the loops are transferred infashioning, said means including needles having relatively short buttsand a central guide cam arranged to be withdrawn from engagement withsaid needles for a predetermined number of courses.

10. A machine for knitting imitation fashioned hosiery comprising incombination means to produce tuck stitches at points in the calf of astocking, corresponding to the points where the loops are transferred infashioning, said means including needles having relatively short buttsand a central guide cam arranged to be withdrawn from engagement withsaid needles for a predetermined number of courses, and means todilferentiate the sinker wale at the back of the stocking from adjacentsinker wales to facilitate the sewing of a line of stitches constitutinga mock seam.

11. A machine for knitting imitation fashioned hosiery comprising incombination means to produce tuck stitches at points in the calf of astocking, corresponding to the points where the loops are transferred infashioning, said means including needles having relatively short buttsand a central guide cam arranged to be withdrawn from engagement withsaid needles tor a predetermined number of courses, and means todifferentiate a selected sinker wale from the other sinker wales of thefabric for the purpose of facilitating the formation of a line of chainstitches constituting a mock seam.

12. A machine for knitting imitation fashioned hosiery comprising incombination means to produce tuck stitches at points in the calf of astocking, corresponding to the points where the loops are transferred infashioning, said means including needles having relatively short buttsand a central guide cam arranged to be withdrawn from engagement withsaid needles for a predetel-mined number of courses and at selectedpoints in the fabric.

13. In a knitting machine or the character described, a series ofneedles, certain of which have shorter butts than other needles of theseries, knitting cams including a central top guide cam arranged forindependent movement relatively to the other cams of the knitting set,and an adjustable link connecting said central guide cam with itsoperating means adapted to permit the variation in the advanced positionof said cam whereby its action upon the said shorter butt needles iscontrolled.

14. In a knitting machine or the character described, a series ofneedles, certain of which have shorter butts than other needles of theseries, a set of knitting cams including central top guide cam isarranged for independent movement to and from its operative position andrelative to the other cams of said set, means to operate said. cam 14,and means to effect a variation in the operative position of said camincluding adjustable connecting means between said cam and its operatingmeans wherebyits action upon the said shorter butt needles iscontrolled.

15. In a knitting machine of the character described, a series ofneedles, certain of which have shorter butts than other needles of theseries, a set. of knitting cams for functioning the knitting instrumentsincluding a central guide cam arranged for indepen--' dent movementtoward and from its instrument engaging position, means to operate saidcam including a link 33, and means to aflord an adjustment of the throwsaid cam. whereby the advance or operative position thereoii' may bevaried including an adjustable stop member 611. secured to said link 33whereby its action upon the said shorter butt needles is controlled.

16. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a. set of knittinginstruments, certain of said instruments having long butts and theremaining instruments having shorter butts, at least one of saidinstruments having a butt shorter than the re maining short buttinstruments, a set of knitting cams including a central guide cam, andmeans automatically to move said guide cam out of operative positionwith respect to said short butt instrument or instruments to preventcasting off of the loops thereof for a determined number of courses.

17. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a series of knittinginstru, ments, a predetermined number of said in stuments havingabnormally short butts, and a set of knitting cams for functioning saidinstruments, including a central top guide cam arranged for independentmovement toward and from said instruments intoand out of operativeengagementwith said abnormally short butts.

movement toward and from said instru-,

ments into and out of operativeengagement with said abnormally shortbutts.

19. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a long butt series anda short butt series of knitting instruments, a plurality of knittinginstruments having butts shorter than all the remaining short buttseries, a main knitting set of knitting cams including a top centralguide cam, and means automatically-to move said gulde cam casting ofi ofthe loops thereof for a definite number of courses.

20. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a. series of knittinginstruments, a plurality of said instruments having short butts, a setof knitting cams including a top central guide cam, and meansautomatically to move said guide cam radially out of operative positionwith respect to said short butt instruments and with respect to theother cams of said set of knitting cams to prevent casting ofi oftheloops thereof for adetermined number of courses.

21'. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a series of knittinginstruments, a selected number of said instruments having relativelyshort butts, knitting cams to function all of said instruments in knitting, said cams including a central top guide cam adapted for movementtoward and from said needles independently of the other cams, and meansto retract said central guide cam from engagement with'saidrelativelyshort butts at selected points in the knitting to form tuck stitches.

22. .A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a series of knittinginstruments, including a long buttset and a short butt set, apredetermined number of said instruments among the shortbutt set havingabnormally short butts, a main knitting set of knitting cams forfunctioning said instruments including a central guide camarranged forindependent movement toward and from said instruments, into and out ofoperative engagement with said abnormally short butts, to prevent attimes the casting oil of the loops from said instruments havingabnormally short butts, and pattern means automatically to effectmovement of said cam at selected points in the knitting.

23, A knitting machine comprising in combination, a set of knittinginstruments, at least one of said instruments having a short butt, a setof knitting cams including a central top guide cam, and meansautomatically to move said guide cam out of operative position withrespectto said short butt instrument or instruments to prevent castingoff of the loops thereof for a determined number of courses.

24. A knitting machine comprising in combination,'a set of knittinginstruments, certain of said instruments having long butts and theremaining instruments, having shorter butts, at least one of saidinstruments among the short butt series having a still shorter butt, aset of knitting cams including a central guide cam, and

der of the cams of said set of knitting cams to prevent casting off ofthe loops thereof for a determined number of courses.

25. A knitting machine comprising, in combination a series of knittinginstruments, certain of said instruments having long butts and theremaining instruments having shorter butts, a plurality of saidinstruments among the short butt set having still shorter butts, a mainknitting set of knitting cams including a central guide cam, meansautomatically to move said guide cam out of operative position withrespect to said short butt instruments to prevent casting off of theloops thereof, for a determined number of courses, and means todisconnect said central guide cam from its operating means whereby saidcam may be manually moved to operative or in operative positions withrespect to said short butt instruments.

26. In a knitting machine of the character described, a series ofneedles, certain of which have shorter butts than other needles of theseries, a main knitting set of knitting cams including a central guidecam 14: arranged for independent movement to and from its operativeposition and relative to the other cams of said set, means to operatesaid cam 14, and means to effect a variation in the operative positionof said cam including adjustable connecting means between said cam andits operating means whereby its action upon the said shorter buttneedles is controlled.

27. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a series of needleshaving long knitting butts, a series of needles having short knittingbutts, a predetermined number of abnormally short butt needles arrangedamong the said short knitting bllbt needles, and a set of knitting camsfor functioning said needles, including cam arranged for movement towardand from the needles into and out of operative engagement with saidabnormally short butts.

28. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a series of needlesvhaving long knitting butts, a series of needles having short knittingbutts, a predetermined number of abnormally short butt needles arrangedamong the said short knitting butt needles, and a set of knitting camsfor functioning said needles, including a radial ly slidable cam tocoact with said abnormally short butt needles in the production oftuclcstitches.

29. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a series of needleshaving long knitting butts, series of needles having short knittingbutts, a predetermined number of abnormally short butt needles arrangedamong the said short knitting butt needles, and a set or" knittin camsfor functioning said needles, including a top central guice cam to coactwith said abnor- -mally short butt needles in the production of tuckstitches.

30. A knitting mach ne comprising in combination, a set of knittinginstruments including a long butt series and a short butt series, apredetermined number of said instruments having abnormally short buttsand arranged among the short butt series, a main knitting set ofknitting cams for functioning said instruments including a guide camarranged for independent movement toward and from said instruments intoand out of operative engagement with said abnormally short butts.

31. A knitting machine comprising knitng instruments a least one of:which has relatively short butt, knitting cams to -unction all of saidinstruments, said kniting cams including stitch cams and a guide am todirect said instruments into effective ngagement alternately with saidstitch cams, said guide cam being arranged for independent movement intoand out of operative engagement with the knitting instrument having saidrelatively short butt.

32. A knitting machine comprising knitting instruments at least one ofwhich has a relatively short butt, two cams alternately to function allor" said lmitting instruments and a guide cam to direct said knittinginstruments alternately into effective engagement with s id instrumentfunctioning cams and arranged for independent movement into and out ofoperative engagement ith relatively short butt:

In testimony where, I have signed. my name to this specification.

JOHN LAWSON.

re n Mteg: gr

